Water-gun.



PATBNTED JULY 1s, 1905.

WATER GUN.

' APPLIOATIN FILED 00T. 6. 1904.

C. H. RADCLIFFE.

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UNITED STATES 'Patented July is, 1905.

CHARLES H. RADCLIFFE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATER-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794.743, @lated July18, 1.905,

Application filed October 6, 1904. Serial No. 227,407.

To all whom, t nfl/ay concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. RADCLIFFE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improved Water-Gun, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in guns adapted to discharge astream of water or other liquids from the rear end of the barrel intothe face of the operator when the trigger is pulled. Guns of this kindare toys and are used in playing practical jokes, especially in theinitiation ceremonies of secret societies. The gun is of ordinaryappearance and causes no suspicion in the mind of the candidate. Insteadofthe expected usual report the candidate upon pulling the triggerreceives a spray of water full in the face, to his own surprise and tothe amusement of the spectators.

The objects of the improvements hereinafter set forth are to provide asimple,eiflcient, and highly-improved gun of this character; to providea gun of this character that may be discharged several times withoutreloading; to provide eiiicient means to prevent the escape of waterexcept at the proper moment,

` and then freely permit such discharge, and to provide simple andeffective means for placing the mechanism in discharging position. Iattain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a general view of the gun. Fig. 2 is acentral Vertical section of the breech. Figs. 3, 4, 6, and 7 areenlarged views 0f. details. Fig. 5 is a view of the barrel in centrallongitudinal section and of the stock, with one side removed, showingthe position of the interior mechanism just after the trigger has beenpulled.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

The construct-ion shown in the accompanying drawings is an improvementover that shown in the drawings of my Letters Patent of the UnitedvStates N o. 740,371.

The barrel 1 screws into the breech-piece 2, and both are secured to thestock 3 by means f the screws 4. The gun is provided with the sights 5and 6. The front end of the barrel is closed by the screw-cap 7, havingan opening 8 to receive the end of a funnel for charging the gun withwater. Tight within the outer end of the barrel and contacting with thecap 7 is a sleeve 12, at the end of which is the collar 13, which formsa shoulder for the Spring 14 to bear against. of the spring acts againstthe front end of the tube v15, which is the plunger of the pump forforcing the water out of the rear end of the gun. The plunger is securedat its front end on the tube 16, which forms the guide for the spring14. These two tubes 15 and 16 form the reservoir 19. The tube 16 screwsinto the valve-socket 17, which isslidable in the sleeve 12. In the endof the tube 16 is a perforated collar 18, which acts as a guide for thestem of the valve and through whose perforations water is admitted tothe reservoir 19. The spring 11 forces the valve 10 against thepacking-ring 49, which may he of rubber or of similar substance, whichring rests against the shoulders of the valve-socket 17, thus preventingany water escaping from the front end of the reservoir.

A valve-casing' 20 screws into the rear end of the tube and is groovedto receive the packing-ring 21, which forms a water-tight joint betweenthe casing and the inner wall of the breech-piece 2. The valve 22isslidable in this casing and is provided with a series of openings 23in the stem portion 24, which are opened by the valve moving to the reareach time the gun-barrel is held vertical with the muzzle up. rIhe ring25 screws onto the front end of the stem portion 24, and thus limits themovement of the Valve in the casing and keeps it from falling ont.

In the stock 3 is pivoted the lever 26, having a flexible slotted strap27 secured thereto. This strap fits over the projecting lug 28, having atongue 29, which lug is secured to the plunger 15 by means of screws, asshown, which engage in the strengthening-bushing 52. By swinging thefront end of the lever 26 downward the strap is caused to pull the lugforward, in which position it is ,held by the pin 30 on the trigger 81,also pivoted in the stock, which pin is forced upward by the The rearend- SoV spring 32. It will be seen, therefore, that when the plunger ispulled forward until the end of the tongue 29 is engaged by the pin 30the pin will hold all the connected parts in their forward position, thevalve 22 permitting water in the reservoir 19 to pass into the space 33of the breech, the water being prevented from escaping' by thepacking-ring 21 and by the valve in the rear of the breech. This rearvalve will open outward under the pressure caused by the spring 14whenever the plunger is released upon the pulling of the trigger. Thebeginning of the movement of the plunger to the rear permits thepressure of the water held in by the spring 40 to force the valve 22 toits seat, thus closing openings 23 and forcing the water to escapethrough the valve in the breech.

The rear valve is shown in Figs. 2 and 5 and comprises a Valve-seat 35,a sleeve 36, pressing against the same, and a screw-plug 37 to hold theparts in position. The plug is provided with a nozzle 38 to direct thedischarge of the water. The valve comprises a hollow tube 39, having anenlarged closed end. The tube is perforated near the closed end to ypermit the escape of the water in chamber 33 whenever the pressurebecomes great enough to overcome the tension of the spring 40, whichspring presses against the pin 41, and thus holds the valve forwardagainst its seat.

In order that the gun may have the appearance of an ordinary firearm,the rear end of the gun-barrel is preferably provided with a socket 44,adapted to receive the cartridge 45. Covering the socket is a hammer 46,held in open or closed positions by the spring 47. The nozzle 38 passesthrough to the rear face of this hammer through the opening 48. Thecartridge is inserted in plain view of the candidate and the hammerclosed down, rendering'the deception complete.

The lever 26 is frictionally held in its upper position by the spring50, secured to the inside of the stock. To load the gun with water, theplunger is forced forward, thus permitting the valve 23 to open when thegun is held in vertical position. The valve l0 is thus forced downwardby means of any suitable instrument and water poured into the opening' 8until the reservoir 19 and the chamber 33 are filled. Upon the pullingof the trigger the chamber 33 will be discharged by the rearwardmovement of the plunger. Upon again forcing the plunger forward theopening of the Valve 22 will permit the chamber 33 to fill with waterfrom the reservoir 19, so that the gun may be fired a number of timeswithout reloading.

Having now explained my improvement, what I claim as my invention, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a water-gun, the combination of a gun-stock, agun-barrel mountedin said stock,

an inlet-valve mounted in the fron-t end of said barrel, a hollowplunger slidable in said barrel, an outlet-valve mounted in the rear endof said plunger, aspring for forcing said plunger rearward, a ringsecured in said plunger, a lug secured to said plunger and ring andhaving a rearwardly extending tongue, a lever pivoted in the front endof said stock having a forwardly-extending arm and an upwardly-curvedsurface, a flexible slotted strap secured to the curved surface of saidlever and extending rearwardly, the rear end resting on said tongue andadapted to engage the lug to move it forward, and a trigger to engagethe rear end of the tongue to hold it in its forward position.

2. In a water-gun, the combination of a gun-stock, a gun-barrel mountedupon said stock and adapted to contain a fiuid and having a reardischarge-opening, a plunger slidable within said barrel for ejectingsaid Huid through said opening, a lug secured to the plunger andprojecting through a longitudinal slot in the barrel, a lever pivoted inthe front end of the stock and having a forwardly-extending arm and acurved rear portion, aflexible strap attached to the upper side of saidlever and extending rearwardly for connecting said lug and lever, saidstrap adapted to bend around the curved rear portion of said lever whensaid lever is actuated to slide said plungerto its forward position, anda trigger adapted to engage said lug and hold said plunger in itsforward position.

3. In a water-gun, the combination of a gun-stock, a gun-barrel mountedupon said stock, said barrel adapted to contain a fluid and having arear discharge-opening, a valveseat in said opening, a valve for saidseat, a spring to hold said valve in position, a sleeve engaging saidseat, and a screw-plug having IOO a projecting nozzle for holding saidsleeve and l valve-seat in position.

4. ln a water-gun, the combination of the gun-stock, a gun-barrelmounted upon said stock, said barrel adapted to contain a fluid andhaving a rear discharge-opening, a slidable plunger for ejecting saidfluid, a lug scoured to said plunger, a lever for sliding said plungerto discharging position, a flat spring secured to the lower edge of thestock for fr-ictionally engaging the rear end of said lever when thesame is in normal position, a trigger for holding said plunger indischarging position, and a flat spring secured to said trigger forreturning the same to normal position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the.presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. RADCLIFFE.

Witnesses:

GRACE R. HAWKINS, ALBERTA H. RADCLIFFE.

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